Knitting machine



ay 1939- R. H. LAWSON a r AL 2,159,942

' KNITTING momma I Filed Feb. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 6 7 4% ,5 I I FIG].

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y 3, 939- R. H. LAwsoN Em 2,159,942

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Men 7025': RwHerflZAM smg PV/ZZZAMLS/WZHTE May 23, 1939. R. H. LAWSON ET AL 2,159,942

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1935 5 sheets-sheet s fA/YE/YTflRS P0352715. LA wsaN, W11 2M 1. S WJ'HJJE;

R. H. LAWSON ET AL -May 23, 1939.

KNITTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 18, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 fzvmwzwes: P0352 T15. L4 14am; MLLJAMLS/WTH 7 ATTy.

Patented May 23, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Massachusetts Application February l8, 1935, Serial No. 6,944 In Canada April 10, 1934 15 Claims.

This invention relates to knitting machines and especially to improved mechanism for cutting float threads while knitting reinforced highsplices and/or double soles in stockings or halfhose having ribbed legs, insteps or both. In the following description and figures of drawings, we disclose a preferred form of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a knitting machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 1, and showing the general arrangements of parts comprising the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a general arrangement of parts including cutter and operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an elevation showing the needle cylinder sinker head and part of the binder, the latter shown in section;

Fig. 4a is a detail taken at a section through the cutter and recessed cam;

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the needle raise cam and the automatic needle elevating cam;

Fig. 6 shows an elevation partly in section of the cams shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a plan view showing the clamp, yarn guide, cutter and float thread cutter;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the binder plate, showing in detail the modified clamp; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation showing in detail the float thread controlling brush.

The stocking knitted upon this machine is preferably of the type shown in the United States Patent 1,863,720. A, brief description of this stocking will be given here, but for sake of limiting the disclosure to necessary material only, reference is made to the above mentioned case for a complete disclosure of knitting a ribbed leg and instep in conjunction with reinforced highsplice and double sole in a stocking or half-hose.

In knitting such a stocking it is common practice, although not necessary, to begin at the toe. The usual looper rounds are knitted by all of one set of needles, usually the cylinder needles, and thereafter one half more or less of the cylinder needles knit a toe, by narrowing and widening in the usual manner. Then a few courses constituting the so-called ring toe are knitted by all the cylinder needles following which the cylinder needles throughout one-half more or less of the needle circle are used to knit a reinforced sole, and at the same time in conjunction with dial needles, others of the cylinder needles knit a ribbed instep. This ribbed instep may be one I and one rib or any other proportion of plain and ribbed stitches desired. Upon commencement of the heel, one-half approximately of the needles, i. e., those knitting the instep, are raised out of action and the dial is also raised. The remaining cylinder needles knit a heel in the usual manner. After knitting the heel the dial is brought down and the instep needles which still retain their loops are brought into action, the knitting of the ribbed instep continuing in conjunction with knitting a reinforced high-splice. At the termination of the high-splice knitting is continued throughout the leg of the stocking, such knitting preferably being on both dial and cylinder needles and knitting ribbed fabric as desired. A rib or other welt may be knitted to this leg; such a Welt may terminate in a nonravelling top, one type of which is shown in the United States Patent 1,863,720 mentioned above. The stocking herein described is merely given by way of example and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In knitting the reinforced sole and high-splice in conjunction with a ribbed instep, an extra yarn is fed to such a portion of the cylinder needles, as knit the said sole and high-splice. During the part of a revolution in which this extra yarn is not fed to the needles, it is floated across the needle circle and is out at a point approximately 180 degrees removed from the mouthpiece or yarn feeding station. The mechanism herein disclosed is adapted to cut this float thread very close to the last needle taking the same and further, to guide the remaining" length of the float in such a way that it is not knitted or taken into the, dial needles while knitting the ribbed instep nor does it become entangled or caught in the dial cam or other adjacent parts.

For carrying out the purpose of the present invention mechanism is provided, one form of which is shown in Figs. 1 through 9 where like numerals of reference refer to like parts. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a circular knitting machine is shown which is adapted to knit plain or ribbed fabric. Mounted within a frame I are the usual main drive shaft and the main cam shaft carrying the usual gears and cams a full description of which may be found in United States Patent 933,443. Upon frame I is mounted a circular base 2 carrying a post 3 upon which is pivoted to swing upwardly about the pivot 4 the usual latch ring 5, said latch ring opposite pivot point 4 having mounted thereon at 6 a plurality of yarn guides generally indicated by reference numeral 1. Each yarn guide 1 is normally held in lower or feeding position by a spring (not shown) and is lifted to an inactive position by one of a series of levers 8 mounted within a bracket 9. Each lever 8 is actuated through a connection such as wire I!) which extends down to a pivoted lever H which rides upon a drum l2 mounted upon a main cam shaft l3. This drum has cams l4, 15 mounted thereon which control the yarn guide through levers ll, wires 10 and levers 8 all in the manner known and described in Patent 933,443, before mentioned.

During the knitting of the double sole and highsplice an extra yarn is fed to the needles knitting those portions of the stockings. One of the yarn guides generally indicated by numeral 1 and most specifically shown in detail in Fig. '7, in this embodiment guide it, is used to feed the extra thread. As is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 this guide l6 which must be lifted from feeding position to an inactive position and returned again to feeding position once during each revolution of the needle cylinder has a special controlling cam beside the usual cam control mounted on drum l2. At the outer end of lever B is connected by screw I I a link I 8 composed of two parts, said two parts being adjustably connected together by bolts I9 engaging one of the link members and passing through slots 20 in the other. The purpose of this two part connection is to provide an adjustment whereby the auxiliary yarn guide may be accurately raised and lowered to feed its yarn to the needles and to withdraw the yarn from the needles at, the correct time.

Upon circular base 2 is mounted a bracket 2! to which a lever 22 is pivoted and mounted for movement about a horizontal axis. Link i8 is connected to one end of lever 22 at a pivot point 23, while the opposite end of lever 22 carries a hardened follower 24 which bears upona cam 25 integral with or otherwise attached to a shaft 26. This follower is capable of adjustment upon the length of arm 22 so that the actuation of that keyed to the end of shaft 26.

arm or lever by cam 25 will be properly timedg Shaft 26 is geared to rotate with a one and one ratio to the needle cylinder and is driven from the I04 gear 21 which meshes with a gear 28 Since the Hit gear makes one-fourth revolution for every revolution of the needle cylinder, gear 28 will have one-forth as many teeth as the [04 gear has. It should now be evident that auxiliary yarn guide IE will be moved to feeding position and from feeding position once every revolution of the needle cylinder by cam 25 acting through elements 24, 22, I8 and lever 8, this action, however, is only realized when cams l4, 15 on the main cam drum are not engaging lever I l which control the said auxiliary yarn guide, that is, when the toe of lever i l is bearing upon the drum in one of the spaces 29 or 30 which correspond to the cam sectors controlling knitting in the double sole and high-splice. When lever H rides upon the cams l4 and I5, the yarn guide is continuously held in an inactive position thus cam 25 can have no effect upon the auxiliary yarn feed and merely rotates idly beneath follower 24.

On the outer end of main cam shaft i3 is fixed a drum 3! (see Figs. 1 and 2) this drum carries cams 32 and 33. Drum 3| is adjustable on shaft l3 by means of set screws 34. The purpose of, this drum and cams 32, 33 is to control a cutter 35, shown in detail in Fig. '7, by linkage hereinafter described.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 7, circular base 2 has mounted thereon a post 36 adjacent to the needle cylinder and carries thereon a sleeve 3'! mounted to be freely rotatable. Post 36 is screwed into the base at 38 and at its lower end is formed to present a shoulder bearing at 39 upwardly against the rotatable sleeve 3i, thus maintaining the sleeve and its attached parts at a fixed height. At the upper end of post 36 a collar 40 is clamped so that sleeve 3? is restrained from vertical movement but is at the same time free to turn.

Adjacent the upper end of sleeve 31 is connected an arm t! which carries by a spring clip 2, a suitable cutting blade 35. This arm 4! isshown as being adjustably clamped to sleeve 37 by means of set screw 43. The arm may be adjusted vertically or angularly about the sleeve 33', and further, arm ii may be attached by screws all to a bracket 46, said screws passing through slots in the arm ll so that the length of arm 4| and thus the position of cutter 35 may be varied at will. Below arm il at a height which allows contact with a cam 45, is a second arm which is connected to sleeve 3] in a similar manner, that is, by attachment to a bracket 46 which is adjustably clamped tothe sleeve by means of a set screw 47. Referring to Fig. 7, cam 44 is better shown in plan view and extends through approximately 270 degrees of the needle cylinder. This cam E i may be integral with or may be attached! to a rotating part of the sinker head. In opera-- tion this cam contacts lever 45 at a proper time to swing arm 2! and cutter 35 away from the needle circle so that the cutter may be inactive, but before the last needle 38 which has taken the reinforcing double sole or high-splice yarn passes the cutter, lever 35 rides off cam 44 and allows the cutter to swing within the needle circle to cutting position where it cuts the float thread very close to needle 48. The short end of the float thread is shown at 29.

Since the auxiliary yarn is fed only during double sole and high-splice knitting, the cutter to be actuated at such times and is preferably held out of operation during the remainder of the cycle. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, an arm 50 is adjustably fixed to the lower end of sleeve 31 and said arm has a link 5| pivoted to its outer end by a connection 52. This link 5! extends horizontally of the machine to connect at its opposite end with a bell crank lever 53 pivoted to a bracket 53 extending upwardly from the circular base 2. A spring 55 attached at one end to a fixed part of the machine and at its other end to a collar 5b adjustable along the length of link BI, is

normally under tension and tends to hold thecutter in operative position and force arm 45 to ear against cam M. A second spring 56 also assists by swinging bell crank 53 in a clockwise direction, Fig. 1, either spring being sufficient for normal operation.

At the lower part of frame 1 adjacent cam drum 3! is pivoted at 5'1 a two-armed lever 58. At one end of this lever is connected a hardened follower 5! which is adapted to contact cams 32 and 33, this follower 59 while preferably a separate element from 58 and adjustable thereon, may be integral therewith. An upright rod 69 having an adjustable forked connection at its lower end is pivoted to the opposite end of arm 58. This rod 3i? projects upwardly through an opening in circular base 2 and through a slot in an off set projection 32 of bell crank 53. Two collars E i are adjustably clamped, one on either side of projection and are so adjusted that when follower 59 is riding upon the surface of either cam 32 or 33 rod 65 will be raised and bell crank 53 rocked in a direction which will maintain sleeve 31 and the cutter assembly in an inoperative position against the tension of springs 54 and 59. When however, follower 59 rides off cams 32 and 33 and bears directly upon the cam drum, rod 60 then in lowermost position allows the bell crank 53 to swing in such a direction that arm 45 can follow the contour of cam 44 and thus operate the cutter each revolution of the needle cylinder. There will be a slight movement of link 5| and bell crank 53 as the cam 44 moves the cutter outwardly and the springs move it inwardly, and to allow this motion, collars 64 are adjusted so that there is a proper clearance for projection 62 to reciprocate axially upon 90.

Referring to Figs. 7 and 8 we will now describe the action of the cutter during double sole and/ or high-splice knitting and the manner in which the float thread is handled so that it will not get caught in the dial needles and become knitted into the fabric during the next revolution nor will it become entangled in any of the dial parts. The usual yarn clamp 95 and cutter 6B are shown mounted upon the dial and these are operated in a positive manner as is the usual practice. The dial cap is recessed at 61 and a curved member 68 is attached thereto by screw 99, this curved member acting as a guide for the float of the auxiliary yarn to guide said yarn in such a path that it will be cut at a point as near as possible to the last double sole or high splice needles which knitted that yarn.

The yarn clamp generally designated by numeral 65 is adapted to bind its yarn between a projecting arm H! and cap H; a spring 12 coiled about a screw 13 is affixed thereto at one end and bears against a stud 14 and maintains this clamp in active position until it is positively actuated to release the yarn. Float thread 75 which is floated and cut during each course of double sole and high-splice knitting is not taken within either the main clamp or the cutter during highsplice or double sole knitting, but novel mechanism is provided for guiding and trapping this float thread. An upwardly curved arm 19 is pivoted at 11 to clamp 65 and forms between its lower surface and the upper surface of the clamping member 19, a divergent opening which is adapted to receive float thread 15 as the last double sole or high-splice needle 48 draws the float across the dial. Atthe entrance of this divergent opening we have soldered or otherwise connected a trapping member which has a horizontal part 18 and an inwardly bent or hook-shaped part 19, said hook shaped element 19 projecting laterally and upwardly beyond the lower surface of arm 16. In operation the float thread 15 is drawn by needle 48 as that needle recedes from yarn guide It until said float thread contacts lower surface 89 of arm Hi whereupon it is guided into thedivergent opening and lifts arm 16 until the said float thread snaps over the point of hooked element I9 whereupon the float is trapped between elements 18, 19 and 16 and is drawn around past cutter 69 and under hooked guide 69 where it is severed by cutter 35. This cutting is timed to take place at approximately the same time that the first double sole or high-splice needle 9| takes the auxiliary yarn at the mouthpiece. Preferably the cutting occurs just after the first needle 9| has taken its yarn.

As the leading needle 8| continues in its path of rotation it draws float thread I5 back through the trapping member, that is, through the corner of hooked elements 18 and 19. Needle 8| is again shown intwo more advanced positions ..8Ia and 8|b, dotted lines running therefrom indicating the position of the float thread at that time. The action of this trapping member results in trailing the float thread behind needle BI and laying it against the inner edge of the needle circle.

To further assist in keeping this float thread from being caught within needle hooks or becoming entangled, a brush located generally at position 82, is shown in detail in Fig. 9. This brush consists of bristles 83 depending from a holder 84 located just within the needle circle and attached by screws 85 to the top of the binder plate. A slot 86 for guiding the float thread after it leaves guide 68, is shown in Fig. 9, and the long end of cut float thread is shown being drawn through this slot and thence down under brush 83. Brush B3 pushes the long end of float 15 which has been cut down below any active parts in which it might become entangled.

Fig. 4 shows how the cylinder needles are lowered to a level below that normally employed and also how the dial cam 87 has been cut away or recessed as at 81 at the left hand end, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, so that cutting blade 35 may pass beneath the dial and above the needles to cut the float thread very close to the last needle knitting it. This float thread 15 is shown passing at a rather steep angle from the top of the dial where it was guided by element 68 to the cutter.

Since the needles during rotary knitting are lowered to a subnormal level at the side of the cylinder adjacent the cutter, it becomes necessary to provide a special cam for raising these needles when reciprocatory Work is commenced. If the auxiliary cam which is shown in detail in Figs. 5 and 6 were not employed, a certain number of the needles at the lower level would miss the knitting cams upon the first oscillation in a reverse direction to that in the rotary knitting. A needle raise cam 88 is shown which allows these needles to follow the low path indicated at 99 in Fig. 6. The normal path in which the butts of these needles should ride to contact their stitch cams (not shown) when reciprocating is shown at 99. Upon a bracket 9| located adjacent the outside of the needle raise cam 88 is pivoted an automatic cam indicated as 92, which cam is adapted to automatically allow the butts of the cylinder needles to pass under it during rotary knitting but to elevate these needles to path 99 upon reciprocation.

Cam 92 has a projecting axis 93 which extends through bracket 9! and upon which the cam may freely pivot. A collar 94 is secured to the outer end of the axis 93 by a set screw 95, and to this set screw 95 or other similar projections is attached a spring 96 which passes above the periphery of the collar and is attached at its opposite end to the bracket 9!. This spring is normally under tension sufficient to hold cam 92 down so that its point bears within a recess 91 cut at the surface of the raising cam. This recess assures that the needle butts strike cam 92 at a point far enough beyond its tip so that positive action will result and neither the butts nor cams can become damaged. When rotating in a counterclockwise direction the needle butts pass up onto cam 89 at surface 98 and lift cam 92 against the action of spring 96 thus passing through without being affected by this cam.

'In operation the needles take a path which is somewhat lower than normal while in the vicinity of the float cutter, and this action of the needles plus the advantageous space gained by cutting away a portion of the lower side of the dial cam allows the cutter to pass between the needles and the dial cam to cut the float at a position much nearer the last needle which knits the extra yarn than would have been possible by cutting above the dial cap at the normal position for a cutter. As a result of cutting the float at this new position the short ends of thread left are short enough to avoid being laid into the stitches of the instep following, and thus do not have to be pulled out as has sometimes been necessary.

The invention has been shown as applied to a knitting machine of the dial and cylinder type adapted to produce hosiery but is obviously not limited to any particular machine and/or product and is to be broadly construed, being limited only by the scope of the claims themselves.

We claim:

1. A knitting machine having means for feeding a yarn to all the needles during the knitting of circular courses and another yarn to some only of the needles, in combination with means for severing the yarn last mentioned at least once during the knitting of each of several courses, said severing means including a cutting element and means for moving said cutter from outside the needle circle to a position within the needle circle to cut the second mentioned yarn in the manner described.

2. A knitting machine including a needle cylinder and needle dial for knitting courses some of the wales of which are rib and some of the wales of which are plain and in which latter wales a reinforcing yarn is knitted, means for severing the yarn last mentioned during the knitting of a plurality of courses and connections for automatically moving the yarn severing element of the severing means to and from its operative position during the knitting of each of said plurality of courses, said connections including means for moving the severing means within the needle circle and beneath the dial whereby said yarns which are to be cut will be out very closely adjacent the needle upon which they were last knitted.

3. A knitting machine including a needle cyl inder and needle dial for knitting courses some of the wales of which are rib and some of the wales of which are plain and in which latter wales a reinforcing yarn is knitted, means for severing the yarn last mentioned during the knitting of a plurality of courses and connections for automatically moving the yarn severing element of the severing means to and from its operative position within the needle circle and beneath the dial during the knitting of each of said plurality of courses, the dial being recessed to receive the cutting element.

4. A knitting machine including a rotary needle cylinder and dial for knitting courses some of the wales of which are rib and others of which are plain, the latter wales being reinforced with an additional yarn, means for severing the said additional yarn once during the knitting of each of a plurality of courses said means including a cutter automatically movable from a position external of the needle cylinder to an operative position within the circle of needles and beneath the dial to engage and sever the additional yarn in the manner set forth.

5. A knitting machine including a rotary needle cylinder and dial for knitting courses some of the wales of which are rib and others of which are plain, the latter wales being reinforced with an additional yarn, means for severing the said additional yarn once during the knitting of each of a plurality of courses said means including a cutter automatically movable from a position external of the needle cylinder to an operative position within the circle of needles and beneath the dial to engage and sever the additional yarn in the manner set forth, the means for automatically moving the cutter including a cam 25 rotatable in time with the needle cylinder and connections leading from the cam to the cutter.

6. A knitting machine including a rotary needle cylinder and dial for knitting courses some of the wales of which are rib and others of which are plain, the latter wales being reinforced with an additional yarn, means for severing the said additional yarn once during the knitting of each of a plurality of courses said means including a cutter automatically movable from a position external of the needle cylinder to an operative position within the circle of needles and beneath the dial to engage and sever the additional yarn in the manner set forth, the means for automatically moving the cutter including a cam 25 rotatable in time with the needle cylinder and connections leading from the cam to the cutter, and other means for holding the cutter in a Withdrawn position during the knitting of other courses.

7. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder and dial the needles of which are adapted to knit fabric a portion of which is plain and another portion of which is rib, the said plain portion having a second yarn fed thereto which floats across the rib portion and means normally disposed without the needle circle, in combination with auxiliary means for moving the aforesaid means to a position within the needle circle below the dial cams for cutting the float thread within the needle circle close to the last needle knitting the same.

8. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder and dial the needles of which are adapted to knit courses parts of which are plain fabric and parts of which are of rib fabric, means for feeding a reinforcing thread to the needles knitting the partial courses of plain fabric said reinforcing thread floating between the last needle knitting the same and the first needle which will again take said reinforcing thread, means for cutting the float thread below the dial adjacent the last needle knitting the same in combination with a trapping member which traps said float thread before it is cut and guides the float thread after it is cut.

9. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder and dial the needles of which are adapted to knit fabric part courses of which are plain and the remaining part courses of which are rib, a yarn guide for feeding an additional thread to needles knitting the plain portions, means for floating said additional yarn between the last needle knitting and the first needle to again knit the same, a cutter adapted to out said float thread adjacent the last needle knitting the same and below the dial in combination with a trapping member for said float thread, said trapping member comprising an upwardly curved arm and an overlapping hook shaped element, said arm and 'element forming a divergent opening between which the float thread is drawn and trapped.

10. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder and dial the needles of which are adapted to knit fabric part courses of which are plain and other part courses of which are rib, means to feed an auxiliary yarn through said plain portions and means to trap and guide said auxiliary yarn as it floats across needles not knitting the same, a cutter pivoted outside said needle circle, a sinker head, a cam afiixed to said sinker head and adapted to actuate said pivoted cutter, a drum rotatable in timed relation to said needle cylinder and having cams mounted thereon adapted at certain times to move said pivoted cutter to a position outside the needle circle whereby it will not be actuated by said first mentioned cam.

11. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder and dial the needles of which are adapted to knit part courses of plain fabric the remaining part courses being rib fabric, a yarn guide for feeding.

an extra yarn to said needles knitting plain fabric in combination with means for guiding and trapping said extra yarn as it floats across needles not knitting the same, a cutter adapted to cut said float thread closely adjacent the last needle knitting the same in each course, a needle raising cam so formed that the cylinder needles may travel at a low level past said cutter and an auxiliary cam associated with said raising cam automatically functioning to raise the cylinder needles to a normal level upon reciprocation immediately after terminating rotary knitting.

12. In a knitting machine, a needle cylinder and dial the needles of which are adapted to knit part courses of plain fabric and remaining part courses of rib, means for knitting a reinforcing yarn throughout the part courses of the plain fabric and for floating said reinforcing yarn across the rib portion, a cutter normally positioned outside the needle circle but so constructed that it can be projected within the circle of needles and beneath the dial for cutting the floats of said reinforcing yarn in combination with cam means for causing said cylinder needles to be depressed at the position wherein said cutter projects within the circle of needles.

13. In a knitting machine, a series of needles moving in a circular path and drawing yarn to knit the same into a fabric, means for feeding an extra yarn to said needles throughout portions only of some courses and floating said yarn across the remaining part of the courses, a cutter for said floats, said cutter being located outside the circle of needles in combination with means for periodically projecting said cutter within the circle of needles to cut the float at a position inside the said circle of needles,

14. A knitting machine having means for feeding yarn to all the needles during the knitting of circular courses and another yarn to some only of the needles, in combination with means for severing the yarn last mentioned at least once during the knitting of each of several courses, said severing means including a cutting element movable from a position outside the needle circle to a position within the needle circle and means for thus moving said cutter within the needle circle to out said yarn while it is projected within said circle of needles.

15. A knitting machine having in combination knitting instrumentalities within a circular bed, yarn severing means mounted externally of the bed and movable across the path of knitting instrumentalities to cut a yarn within the said circular bed of instrumentalities including a blade, movable means for carrying said blade and retaining means consisting of a spring clip for removably holding the blade in position on said movable means.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. WILLIAM L. SMITH, JR. 

